Jonathan Porretta soars in an explosive role

Many choreographers have taken on Igor Stravinsky's groundbreaking "The Rite of Spring" since its riotous premiere in Paris in 1913 but perhaps none so audaciously as Molissa Fenley.

Fenley has turned this onslaught of propulsive sound, which she titles "State of Darkness," into a tour de force that pushes the solo performer to his or her physical and emotional limits for 34 minutes.

It's no wonder only two dancers have taken the role on -- Fenley and PNB artistic director Peter Boal.

After watching principal dancer Jonathan Porretta hurtle through PNB's premiere of the piece on opening night Thursday, it's not hard to understand why the dance world has heaped such glory upon this primal, explosive ballet.

Virtually every other version of "Rite of Spring" has used an ensemble cast and adhered to some form of narrative if not the original one, which culminates in a virgin's dance of death. But Fenley forgoes any story, creating instead a rich cast of creatures that morph from bird to fish to amphibian. Her understanding of the music is highly sophisticated, sometimes accompanying Stravinsky's beats with an easily identifiable dance step, at other times allowing the music to stand on its own.

Porretta, always a powerful physical presence, captures perfectly both the elegance and intensity of Fenley's distinctive movement style, using his supple upper body and gorgeous line to extend the ever-changing shapes that Fenley creates with a fluttering hand or elongated arabesque.

These effects were intensified by the dramatic lighting designs of David Moodey, which created ever-changing patterns on Porretta's bare-chested body. James Moore and Rachel Foster perform the role in rotation with Porretta throughout the current run.

Rounding out the program, dedicated to Stravinsky's 125th birthday, are three other works set to his music. "Circus Polka" is a charming little ditty by Jerome Robbins, performed on Thursday by Porretta and 48 adorable PNB students.

Also on view is Balanchine's "Rubies," the jazzy section of his full-length masterpiece "Jewels." Although Kaori Nakamura brought her customary sharpness to the hip-thrusting style, the rest of the cast lacked the edge the work demands.

More successful was Balanchine's "Symphony in Three Movements," which might just be the pinnacle of the extraordinary collaboration between the two Russian giants. Mara Vinson and Kiyon Gaines in particular were standouts in the work's signature high-flying, tucked-leg jumps.

Although the PNB orchestra struggled a bit in "Circus Polka" and "Rubies," it hit its stride in the killer "Rite of Spring" and "Symphony in Three Movements."